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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

I don't think "too posh to push" cs should be allowed on the NHS

373 replies

SoupDragon · 25/10/2006 17:17

And by "too posh to push" I mean can't be ar$ed to do it "naturally, want to fit the birth into a busy schedule or want it early to avoid stretch marks. That kind of thing.

Obviously where there is a medical need (and by this I include maternal fear/distress where it can not be allayed beforehand} then yes, they should be provided by the NHS.

In the same way, I did not expect the NHS to provide me with a birthing pool, pay for the electricity and increased heating costs or provide me with food for my home waterbirth.

(yes, I know this will descend into popcorn and hard hats but I don't want to clutter up the other posters thread )

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

corblimeymadam · 26/10/2006 14:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

vesela · 26/10/2006 14:20

In the Czech Republic they either offer - or don't refuse - you an epidural pretty much everywhere, even in small hospitals.

I'm not Czech, btw - I just live here.

megusta · 26/10/2006 14:22

oh god southeastastra, feel really guilty now can i defend my decision by saying the whole hospital was private and there were no other labouring women in the maternity ward that night? i agree private medicine is not fair, but am prepared to cmpromise my principles when my vagina is involved.

LadyHeatherMillsMcCartney · 26/10/2006 14:42

However, given the choice of where Id like to be stitched then I'll opt for belly.

Highlander · 26/10/2006 14:56

expat - you agreeing with me has me reaching for the red wine in disbelief. Ah well, any excuse

3andnomore · 26/10/2006 20:58

Sorrell, because in the longrun it would be cheaper, as more and better midwife care and more natural Childbirth options would be very likely to reduce the need for interventions and therefore would be saving lots of pennies in the long run, it would also save a lot of money in psychological/psychatric (sp?) aftercare which is often necessary after a traumatic Birth and a lot less AD's would need to be deiscribed, too!
Megusta, when I was pg with es, my sis, still childless now, said, oh no, I would have a C-section I would not want natural childbirth...I asked why, and she said, it's way to painful...now my first thought was wtf, and it still is now...not saying having 2 children natural was all painless and happy days, and not even saying that I found C-section that painful with my 3....physically, but by god was it easier after natural childbirth! BUt people, like my sis, so not realsie this I suppose, or they don't care how much morphine etc... they have, lol!
Also, there is a lot of talk about Natural Birht then claiming the use of forceps...now, to me that would have nothing to do with natural Childbirth, that would be a high intervention and medicalised Vaginal Birth, completely different cup of tea in my opinion, as far away from each other as Elective C-section due to medical reason and to posh to push elective ones....!

SweetyDarling · 26/10/2006 21:54

In Aus, my private health insurance covered private maternity care and birth. I was amazed how hard it was to get this here.
Surely if more people used private care then there would be less pressure on the public (NHS) system?

3andnomore · 26/10/2006 22:01

Sweety darling, but then not everyone can afford private care now?
Although the german Insurance system used to be great, it is not as good anymore nowadays, sigh....not quite as extreme as the american system of course, but heading slowly that way i suppose!

MKG · 26/10/2006 22:13

I'm American and I have to say that after listening to the stories here I would prefer our system and all it's flaws to the NHS as it has been described. We have to go through insurance companies true, but insurance covers anything that isn't optional (plastic surgery etc)

SweetyDarling · 26/10/2006 22:22

No, not everyone can afford private insurance, but by encouraging those who can afford it to take it out, it has meant that those people are removed from the public system. This means that the public system has the same amount of money in it but fewer people relying on it. This obviously means that the public system has more money and resources for those who are reliant on it.

expatinscotland · 26/10/2006 22:23

I'm American and a naturalised Brit and I'd take the NHS ANY DAY!

I lived in mortal dread day in and out b/c I was one of the 44m+ who was uninsured b/c many employers don't have to provide insurance or make it so expensive you'd spend half your salary paying for it so you don't take it up.

Only for them to come back and tell you they won't cover or your copay is the size of the national debt.

And then Bush goes and makes it impossible to go bankrupt for medical debt. Nice! TOSSER!

Losing your house to pay for your 'share' of life-saving cancer treatment in the richest nation in the world. And forget about getting help now that you're out your livelihood as well. Or insurance. Ever again.

Of course, it was all my fault for not having insurance, for being working poor.

Oh, and when I had 'good' insurance, I got all these letters from hospital, threatening to take me to collection agency b/c the insurance wouldn't pay.

And I'd have to spend my lunch hour - b/c you can get easily sacked for using the phone at your 50+ hour/week job to chase up the insurance company - ringing them up. Half of that would be spent navigating the menu trying to get a live person.

Sorry, but there's no comparison.

And the healthcare 'system' there makes me ashamed to be American, tbh.

That's a HUGE statement coming from the granddaughter of immigrants. One that would make my patriotic father very sad.

But there are reasons I will never live there again.

And that is one of them.

End rant

expatinscotland · 26/10/2006 22:24

I might point out I am married to a Scotsman and the mother of two Scots daughters.

My daughters may make different choices from me, that is their right as dual nationals.

But my only hope is that things change there.

I'm not holding my breath!

lulumama · 26/10/2006 22:27

sweetydarling

i havfe private health insurance,,but was not covered for anthing to do with pregnancy or birth...i would have had to pay for it myself...so i use the NHS as little as possible..but had to use it for birth as private birth out of reach financially...

pucca · 26/10/2006 22:37

I will probably be given loads for this but i don't get the fear of birth reason.

I had a traumatic 1st birth 3rd degree tear etc etc, yet i can understand that slightly, i did have a section but down to the fact of my pelvic floor wouldn't have been able to stand another vaginal birth (still have accidents with bowel 3 yrs on), yet i really dreaded the section and really wished i could have had a natural, but went along with what the consultant thought best, in hindsight it was for the best as DS was 9lb 6oz @ 38 weeks so a natural birth probably would have caused lasting damage.

The fear of birth in a 1st timer, i really don't get i don't understand how you can be that frightened of something you have never experienced?

pucca · 26/10/2006 22:37

Meant i had a section 2nd time round.

SweetyDarling · 26/10/2006 22:49

Lulu, that's kinda my point. Why is it so hard to get private maternity insurance here? I think it's really bad that so many people who could afford private maternity cover (if it was easier to get) are putting pressure on the public system and taking up the resources that should be used for the people who can't afford private.

3andnomore · 26/10/2006 22:52

Pucca probably to do with Birth being such a medicalised thing nowadays and women rarely getting the right support and therefore many women having bad stories to tell.
I read the book "Rediscovering Birth" by Sheila Kitzinger and it is such an eyeopener about the changes of view in childbirth....!
Indeed women, that say that they loved childbirth and that the pain was bearable and copable and that it helped them to accept the pain as part of the process, etc....will be looked odd upon, like they are some weird Hippy breed!
It is a shame though, as childbirth can be a wonderful and empowering experience, but the way the system is and the way our soceity works, it often isn't!

lulumama · 26/10/2006 22:55

i love ina may gaskin too...her books make me want to have a baby NOW!!

lulumama · 26/10/2006 22:58

sweety...should not the system that i also pay tax to support...be able to cope....? i have medical insurance but i also pay to support the NHS!

it;s not the fault of people not being able to get the cover for private maternity services..it is the system imploding and collapsing in on itself from within..

but that is another debate! and i have to be up early!

SweetyDarling · 26/10/2006 23:01

This way doesn't work, so why not look at other ways?
In Aus you get a tax rebate for having private health insurance.
I'm not saying it's a perfect system, but something has to change here.

SittingBull · 26/10/2006 23:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

expatinscotland · 26/10/2006 23:10

I know one.

She gave birth in Glasgow, but now lives in Southampton.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 26/10/2006 23:14

This is such an emotive subject, isnt it?

lulumama · 26/10/2006 23:21

sitting bull

i take your point

but

i was OFFERED a c section...despite there being no apparent medical reason for me needing one....except for having had an emergency c.s before.

my pelvis had been scanned and was normal..there was no compelling medical evidence i would require a section

i could have said yes..without any further discussion.....

SparklyGothKat · 26/10/2006 23:39

haven;t read the whole thread. I had a C/S with DS as he was a frank breech. I had a VBAC with DD1 and again with Dd2.
My SIL had a natural deliverly with her DS who weighed 10lb something, and when she was pregnant with her dd she asked for a C/S. This meant that she could work upto the day before the C/S and she returned to work 6 weeks later. She could have had her dd naturally as she only weighed 7lb 6.
Personally I would go with natural birth each time, yes it hurts, but at least the pain is over faster than a C/S.

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